A Revelation in the Light of Day: Crimson
by Wyvernhail
Summary: Orihime gave up on the heart of the one she loved without putting up a fight; he had never been hers to begin with. She befriends a tough redhead, whom she finds she has more in common with than she thought and her boring life takes an unexpected turn. AU
1. Broken

_**A/N:**_ I know I should be working on my latest chapter of _This World Can't Tear Us Apart_, but this whole idea would just not leave me alone. It's been bugging me for days! I don't know how I should classify this, although I'm pretty sure it should be a crossover. This particular pairing however is not crossover, but other characters will come into play. This is Bleach and Naruto; let's see how it works out. I hope you like it.

This story is AU and will focus on Bleach and Naruto characters; their relationships, their heartache, their everyday life in general. Almost all of the characters are entering or are already in college. Somehow I think that college life and "the real world" will give them a whole other level of obstacles to overcome. Other side fics will branch out from this one, but this one is about Renji and Orihime. Many more are to come.

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer: **I DO NOT own Bleach OR Naruto. Just borrowing them temporarily; they belong to Tite Kubo and Masashi Kishimoto, respectively.

_**CRIMSON**_

_Broken_

She had survived. She had made it through high school and she had never felt more satisfied than she did then. To say that those years had been her most trying and difficult years would not do them any justice. She had endured many things in her short life and had come out a better person in spite of everything, but somehow they all seemed trivial somehow. She had been raised by her older brother Sora before he could even fend for himself; they lived in an abusive household and had no other option but to escape. Both their parents abused them physically and emotionally until one day Sora had had enough. He stood up to them and fled with a young, barely conscious Orihime in his arms. She could still remember that night vaguely; it had been raining heavily and the sound of thunder and flashes of lightning prevented her from succumbing to the oblivion that called to her, welcomed her with open arms. Later Sora would tell her that it was as if heaven itself had been weeping for them that night, for the injustice their parents committed against them, the children that they should have protected yet only knew how to hurt. He told her that the lightning was guiding them, lighting their way to the place where they would finally be free.

Sora had been right for they ended up at the one place where they would finally be safe. He ran and ran with his beloved sister in his arms until he came to a house that as soon as he laid eyes on, he had to fight his body with all the strength he had left in order not to collapse. He banged on the door and was quickly answered by just the person he had wanted to see, but was not even aware he had been looking for; his only intention had been to get Orihime to safety. A woman opened the door. Her blonde hair almost looked like a halo surrounding her and her eyes were the most honest and purest shade of blue he had ever seen. She had been shocked at the arrival of her sister's children in such a condition at her doorstep, but she quickly snapped out of it and barely had a chance to grab Orihime from Sora's arms when he collapsed on the floor in front of her.

Rangiku Matsumoto was their mother's younger sister, she is Sora's age. Their mother had always been rebellious and had gotten pregnant at a very young age. She ran away from home with their father and they married; 15 years later they had Orihime. Rangiku had searched for her sister for a long time until she found her; she knew she had a nephew and wanted to be close to him even if the relationship she had with her sister was not the best. Shortly after she found them, she noticed that things weren't going well in the marriage. She knew they were both alcoholics and suspected they abused Sora but never found or saw any evidence. A few years later when Orihime was born the family fell apart even more. Rangiku also suspected that Orihime was abused and neglected, but there was nothing she could do, especially if neither Sora nor Orihime reached out. When she questioned him about it he always closed up and changed the subject quickly.

Their grandparents had passed away and had left Rangiku with a hefty sum of money; she had been the sole benefactor of that fortune since their mother had been disowned. Rangiku loved them both dearly and helped them until Sora was able to stand on his own two feet and provide for the both of them, much to Rangiku's disappointment. She stuck around; not once did they feel as if they were alone. After that Sora raised Orihime as if she were his own daughter. He never complained about the sacrifices he had to make— not once. Now she felt that it was her turn to repay him in some way even if it was only by pursuing that higher education he wanted for her so badly. He never demanded she follow in his footsteps and take over the company he proudly built on his own, for Inoue Corporation was one of the four leading financial companies— along with the Uchiha, Hyūga, and Sabaku corporations. He always told her to follow her heart and it would never lead her astray. She could study anything she wanted and he would support her every step of the way. So when their parents passed away when she was twelve, she didn't feel sorrow for the loss. For the longest time she felt like there was something wrong with her… like she was committing one of the most horrible sins known to man for not feeling… anything. She finally came at peace with herself after an emotionally draining conversation with Sora and Rangiku, after they made her realize that it was due to the fact that she did not see them as their parents— she never had— for in her eyes her big brother Sora and her aunt Rangiku had always been her real mother and father.

During her younger years she had always been picked on by other girls her age because of her burnt orange hair, she stood out too much from the rest. It had always been something she was extremely proud of, Sora and Rangiku loved it, so she did too. It happened on a day that the bullying had gone too far and the girls snipped away at her beautiful hair. She was horrified that they had done something so cruel and could not stop crying when she heard an angry shout. It was another girl and she was standing up for _her._ She used a little too much force in her opinion, but ever since that day that girl had become her best friend and they were inseparable. She would never forget the day Tatsuki Arisawa came to her aid.

Two years later, when she was eight, they met a very unique girl. She had the most unique eyes that Orihime had ever seen— a beautiful shade of lavender. She had a boyish, pixie-like haircut but what got her attention was her midnight blue hair that stood out as much as her own burnt orange. She had pale, porcelain skin that made her look like a delicate doll and Orihime thought she was just the prettiest girl she had ever seen. All eyes were on her when she was introduced, making her pale cheeks turn a bright shade of red. _"H-Hinata H-Hyūga,"_ was what she stammered out and Orihime felt bad for her, the poor girl was extremely shy. Hinata was very clumsy as well, making her an easy target for bullies and it was during one of those times that Tatsuki had decided she had had enough. She defended Hinata, much like she had Orihime, and beat the group of boys into a pulp. The fact that an eight-year-old Tatsuki had beat up the two notorious ten-year-old bullies got her the reputation that had stuck with her for the remainder of their school years. Tatsuki was the kind of girl that stood up for what she believed in and took absolutely no— B.S. — from anybody, but she was also kind hearted and the few that she allowed to get close had no qualms about her friendship. From then on Hinata joined the duo. She was extremely kind, unselfish, and caring to a fault. Hinata was very shy and quiet too, but over the years being around Tatsuki and Rangiku had all but forced her out of her shell.

When they entered high school things changed drastically for them. With high school came the oh-so-dreaded puberty, and with puberty came the physical changes in their bodies. Orihime was blessed with a rather ample top half, slender waist, legs that seemed to go for miles, and a very curvy bottom. Hinata, although a few inches shorter than her, had a similar silhouette; full but slightly smaller bosom, shorter yet still slender waist, and a curvy bottom, curves that were all the more noticeable with her shorter height. Tatsuki, being the late bloomer in the group, had been unofficially assigned the task of beating off both males and females from her two best friends with a stick. It hadn't been until their junior year that Tatsuki blossomed and it was only until then that she experienced the constant harassment first hand. Tatsuki grew several inches finally being able to catch up to Orihime's height; Hinata remained the shortest of the three. Her body was slender but more toned due to the years of martial arts training; her long toned legs were the center of countless girls' envy and the object of desire for many boys. She finally let her short, boy-like hair grow to her waist.

It was during her first year when she first met him— the misunderstood boy with orange hair— Ichigo Kurosaki. At first everyone had been afraid of him; he had a bad reputation and was rumored to have taken out Karakura's most dangerous gang Ragnarok single-handedly, which he later confessed was not true… Chad had helped him. But not her… she had never been afraid of him and had been drawn to him from the moment she saw him, like a moth to a flame. For three years she loved him. For three years she admired him and became one of his closest friends, but it had never been enough. She never even had a chance… On their junior year a new girl transferred to Karakura High, a petite girl with violet eyes, fair skin and black hair— Rukia Kuchiki, she would never forget that name. When she passed by Ichigo to take the only empty seat next to her, warm brown met cool violet, and that's when Orihime knew that Ichigo would never be hers. In that brief exchange, she saw that the petite girl accomplished what she had not been able to do in years as his friend; he was looking at Rukia the way she had always looked at him.

When Ichigo and Rukia became an item nobody was really surprised. They spend a lot of their time together and they would flirt so much with each other that their friends had assumed they were together long before they made the official announcement. Several people in the group— Tatsuki, Hinata, Sakura, Uryū, Chad, Sasuke, Tenten, and Mizuiro (the most intuitive ones) — knew about her feelings for Ichigo and they all offered their support in their distinct ways. She would never be able to repay them for being there for her when she needed them most. To say she had been devastated would not do the hardest time of her teenage life (emotionally that is) justice; at times the sadness seemed to consume her whole and she was glad when she finally came out of it. It had been thanks to Rukia that she finally came out of that depression that was so out of character for her. In front of her friends Orihime pretended she was fine, but they knew her better.

Rukia at times wondered if Orihime's feelings of friendship towards Ichigo were more than that, while he remained oblivious. They learned about it in a rather unorthodox way. They had been eating lunch together at school like they always did. That day the new couple decided to show a little more affection towards each other than they often did. Ichigo leaned in to give a small, tender kiss to his first girlfriend and held her in an affectionate embrace, temporarily forgetting about their audience. Orihime didn't handle the public display of affection very well, of course she knew that these were things a boyfriend and girlfriend would do, but she didn't want to see _them_… it hurt too much. She quietly stood up and slipped away. Hinata knew immediately what had upset her and quietly excused herself, quickly going after her; Hinata had been having boy problems of her own and knew the feeling all too well. Tatsuki all but jumped to her feet, she was furious! She understood why Orihime had stayed quiet and never voiced her feelings to Ichigo, but she felt that it did not give them an excuse to hurt her friend like that. Ishida and Chad held on to an arm each trying to calm her down but she was past her limit.

As if finally realizing they weren't alone, Rukia and Ichigo broke apart, a blush visible on their faces. They immediately noticed Tatsuki's anger, and Ichigo took a step towards her, reaching out to her. At first he thought that she was upset with them for being inconsiderate and engaging in a very personal act in public. "Sorry Tats-" was all he was able to get out before she snapped and took a step towards him, ready to attack.

Uryū and Chad moved fast enough to hold her back and she struggled to break free. The more she fought the stronger their hold became. Her eyes were red and watery with anger; she wanted to hurt Ichigo so badly for hurting Orihime! "I've had enough! I've had as much as I can take! Seeing you two sickens me! How can you be so dense? How can you not _see_ what you're doing to her? All these years Ichigo she has stood by you, not once saying anything, suffering over you in silence!" At this point she was trembling visibly.

"How could you not have seen what she felt towards you… all this time?" She was trying very hard not to cry for what her best friend had to endure each and every day. She then turned towards Rukia and the petite girl flinched at her accusatory gaze. "And you! How dare _you_? How dare you call yourself her friend when you couldn't even see…?" Her voice was breaking and she had to stop before she broke down herself. "Wasn't it obvious? She wears her heart on her sleeve for crying out loud!"

Her pained expression dropped to the ground. "We all knew. We've known all this time…" she looked up at Ichigo with renewed rage "… except _you_! You've hurt her for the last time!" She freed herself from the two males holding her then lunged and punched Ichigo on his jaw with all the strength she could muster, making him lose his balance and drop to the ground. She breathed heavily, looked back and forth between Rukia and Ichigo— who had not even picked himself up off the ground as he hung his head in shame— before she turned around to go look for Orihime.

When she turned around she almost crashed into someone with bubblegum pink hair. "Tatsuki, what's wrong?" She tried to stop the martial arts expert but she just stormed off, not once looking back. She quickly assessed the situation from the tension surrounding the group: Ichigo was on the ground with a quickly forming bruise on the right side of his jaw, Tatsuki was pissed beyond reason so that meant that she had been the one that punched him and that could only mean one thing. She turned to look at Uryū and Chad who had a worn expression on their faces. She sighed audibly, "Look Ichigo, none of us wanted to get involved in your relationship because to be honest it's none of our business."

Ichigo looked at her with widened chocolate brown eyes. "Sa-Sakura… you knew?" He was in total disbelief. They had all known.

Sakura chuckled humorlessly, "Of course I knew, we all did which makes it really hard to believe that you never realized it. Seriously Kurosaki, you can be as dense as Naruto sometimes." She said affectionately but quickly steeled her voice and looked at him with cold emerald eyes. "We all agreed to stay out of it for Orihime's sake, but it's because of _her_ that we are not going to stand idly by. When you hurt her it became _our_ pain as well. There is no excuse for the pain you have caused her. You need to fix this." She turned to look at Rukia with the same coldness and saw her visibly shudder. "You _owe_ her that." She stormed off intent on finding Orihime.

Ichigo finally rose to his feet but refused to look up, never before had he felt so ashamed of himself. He had hurt Hime for chrissake's! How could he have done that? How could they have done that to her? Things would never be alright. He finally looked at Ishida with a pained expression, "How- why…?"

Uryū adjusted his glasses with his index finger and sighed audibly, "It wasn't our secret to tell. She had finally worked up the courage to at least confess, but once you and Rukia started dating she promised she'd never tell you and made us promise not to do so either. We have all tried to look out for her… to take care of her, but we've all failed miserably. This is gonna be difficult for her to get through. I'm sorry Ichigo but she needs us right now." Ishida walked away, leaving them to search for his friend.

Chad stayed quiet throughout the ordeal, but now looked at the state Ichigo and Rukia were in. "Don't worry, we'll get through this. I know neither of you hurt her knowingly. Everybody's just angry because of how all of this came about, but the truth was bound to come out sooner or later. We're all friends and have been for a long time so this will not come between us; it will only make our friendship stronger." Chad saw Rukia was on the verge of crying. "You've been a part of our group for a year, but we consider you a valuable friend Rukia. Orihime is forgiving that's just who she is. She's not capable of hating anybody much less her friends. Just take the first step and let time deal with the rest."

Chad didn't speak much but when he did it was always words of wisdom. Rukia sincerely hoped she would be able to fix things with Orihime. _'I'm sorry for hurting you, Hime.'_

* * *

><p>Later on that day, Rukia went to look for Orihime, she couldn't deal with the fact that she had caused the kind red head pain. Orihime had been her first female friend. <em>'I have to make things right!' <em> When she got to her house she rang the doorbell. No matter how many times she came over she'd still feel speechless. Orihime was well off— much like Rukia was, the Kuchikis were a distinguished family— her brother had become the owner of one of the most successful companies in the country, but they had always been vey humble about their status. Their home was not extravagant in any way, but it was still beautiful. It was large and had enough rooms to accommodate several of their friends or relatives; due to the life they had lived Sora would offer a helping hand to those who needed it.

The door was finally opened by none other than Tatsuki who glared daggers once she saw who was at the door. "Who is it Tatsuki?" She heard Orihime's muffled inquiry from inside. She could see Tatsuki's reluctance, she didn't know if she was gonna tell Orihime that it has her at the door. The internal battle finally ended and she stepped aside giving her entrance. Rukia quickly walked in before Tatsuki could change her mind and immediately took off her shoes before she took the step leading into the actual house. She saw Orihime sitting on the couch with her head against the armrest. She felt like she had been punched in the stomach when Orihime looked up— her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Orihime's peachy complexion quickly drained of color when she saw her.

"I'll be outside if you need me Hime." Tatsuki's voice sounded so gentle when she spoke to the red head. Orihime was her soft spot… Tatsuki's Achilles' heel… and she knew why. Orihime could warm up even the coldest of hearts. '_Why hadn't Ichigo fallen in love with her?'_ She was interrupted of her thoughts when she heard the door close quietly behind her.

This was it. Now they were alone and she had to make things right— except she couldn't say anything. Not a word came out. What do you say to one of your closest friends when you've taken that which she held dear to her heart? What do say when you've taken the love of her life and shattered her heart into a million pieces?

Orihime could see the turmoil within Rukia and spoke up first. "I'm sorry Rukia. I'm sorry for clouding your happiness with Ichigo." Orihime looked down and Rukia knew it was because of the tears that were threatening to fall again. Rukia wanted to stop her, _'Why is she the one apologizing?' _But chose to stay silent and let her continue to let everything out. "I- I wasn't going to say anything… ever. Tatsuki shouldn't have reacted like she did." Rukia was slowly shaking her head; did her kindness know no bounds? Of course it didn't.

Orihime stayed quiet for a bit then finally looked up and their eyes met. Rukia felt like crying out. She could see, no she could almost feel, Orihime's pain and sadness and knew that she was the cause of it. "I- I have… loved Ichigo for three years. I have always admired him and supported him. I have been his friend." Her gaze turned distant as if she were remembering those days. "I- wasn't gonna tell him how I felt, I've always known that he doesn't see me as more than a friend. But a year ago I started thinking that maybe- maybe I should tell him, not because I was hoping he would return those feelings but because I felt that I needed to— just to get it out in the open and be free of it. I didn't want to be left with 'what if's, wondering for years to come if I had made the right choice in keeping it to myself."

Orihime kept her sight set on her hands resting on her lap, she was rubbing a set of blue flower shaped hair pins between her fingers. "Then you transferred to our school, and that very first day I knew that Ichigo would never return my feelings." Rukia looked at her questioningly and Orihime continued. "You see, I saw when your eyes first met and I saw the look in his eyes… he looked at you and saw _you_ the same way _I_ would see _him_…" Rukia's eyes widened exponentially for she clearly remembered that day. That moment had been when she knew they were meant to be together. Everything that had happened to her before she moved to Karakura had led her to him… her _soul mate_. The irony of it all was that she had never believed in any of those silly things— destiny was something she laughed at— that is until she met him.

Tears were streaming freely down Orihime's face. "That's when I decided I couldn't say anything even if it tore me to pieces. All I want is for Ichigo to be happy… I just want you to be happy… and I know that your happiness is one and the same." Her body was now trembling visibly and Rukia didn't know what to do, didn't know what to do to make everything alright. She knelt by her feet and held on to Orihime's fisted hands. She finally looked up and when Rukia met those slate eyes she felt whatever strength she had crumble away. Orihime was broken and it was all because of her. Orihime attempted to speak but her voice cracked, "I-I just d-don't know h-how to deal with this. H-how can I make it go a-away? Why won't it s-stop?" She had finally broken down and was sobbing as she clutched desperately at her chest.

At that moment Rukia fell apart. She had stripped Orihime of whatever strength she had been hanging on by. Rukia held Orihime in a tight embrace as they both wept. "I'm sorry Hime! I'm so sorry!" She said between sobs. "I-I can't be with him. I won't stay with him! Just please forgive me!"

Orihime snapped out of it momentarily and pulled away from the smaller female, holding on to her by the shoulders. "No Rukia, you _can't_ leave him. Don't you realize that if he's unhappy because of me I would never be able to forgive myself?" Unaware that Ichigo had been let in by Tatsuki, the two continued their emotional discussion. "His happiness is you and you're only happy with him. I can't tear you apart like that."

Ichigo took in the emotional state they were in and felt a pain constrict his chest. 'I have caused this… this pain?' Without being able to stop himself, he approached them and knelt down in front of Orihime and next to Rukia. He held on to their hands, one in each of his, "I'm sorry Orihime. I was so stupid! I was so blind this whole time and never realized it. I'm sorry I hurt you instead of protecting you." He dared to look at her and noticed the fresh tears that had begun to flow. He turned to look at Rukia who had not stopped looking at him. He saw in those violet eyes he loved so much what he had been thinking. She nodded briefly when she came to the same conclusion.

Orihime understood what they intended to do and began to shake her head. "N-no, don't even think about it." Rukia and Ichigo both turned to her abruptly. "You have to stay together, that's the only way we can all be happy and stay together as friends. Don't you see? That's the only way we'll be happy… all of us. You- you can't break up because of me! I would _never_ be able to forgive myself. You have to promise me you'll do that— for me. That's all I ask... I- I just want you to be happy. _Promise me_…"

The desperation was clear in her voice and they look at each other once again. Leave it to Orihime to sacrifice her happiness for everybody else's. They knew what would happen if this ended badly and it would tear the whole group apart. They didn't want to hurt Orihime anymore, but she wanted them to stay together. They finally gave in and answered simultaneously. "I promise."

Leave it to Orihime to sacrifice herself for the sake of those around her… even if doing so would leave her so broken that she'd wonder if she would _ever_ be able to pick up the pieces.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_ There's the first chapter. What do you think so far? There will be other stories in the series being updated along with this one. They will all eventually overlap, such as events happening in one will also happen in another if the characters are involved. They will just be seen from a different perspective or will focus on another event happening at the same time. Okay so now about the updates… I will update according to reviews and PMs, meaning the more reviews a story gets the more I will update that story. The same also applies to my other story _This World Can't Tear Us Apart._ I already have several chapters for the stories finished. So that being said, if you want the story to be updated please be kind and review! Virtual hugs for everyone!

-_**Wyvernhail**_


	2. Push

_**A/N:**_ I have to confess that I'm a little sad. This story didn't get that many reviews… I'm not really sure how you guys like this story. With that being said I wanted to thank blackirishawk for reviewing, your constant support and encouragement motivate me to update! I've told you this many times but I still don't think I tell you enough, you are awesome my friend!

_**Rating:**_ M

_**Disclaimer:**_ Do not own Bleach or Naruto.

_**Push**_

Orihime had endured the trial she was put through— she had come out a better person because of it. Seeing Ichigo and Rukia together had been painful at first, she wanted to just run away every time she saw them together looking at each other in that love filled way they did. In the way she wanted him to look at _her_. Over the year's time she became accustomed to it. To be honest she wasn't sure if she had gotten over it or if she had simply just gotten used to it. The point was that she had become numb to it. She no longer felt that longing she did whenever she saw them so happy and in love.

She hated feeling that way. She wanted to be the Orihime she used to be, the one everyone loved and wanted to be around. So she put up a façade in front of her friends one where they thought she had gotten completely over it. But at the end of the day no matter how skillful she thought she was, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself so she could feel better, she was never able to fool them… they could see right through her.

After graduation she was lost. She wasn't sure of what would become of her if she kept on this self destructive path. Upon learning of her friends' heartache, Hinata's and Sakura's, she finally received that rude awakening she had been waiting and searching for. She was disappointed in herself for wallowing in self-pity for so long. Her friends needed her. She had to be the friend they could lean on and rely on in their trials and she became that friend. That was the push that she had needed all this time.

Sora and Rangiku had worried over her all this time and they felt helpless at only being able to stand at the sidelines watching her self-destruct. That summer Rangiku had had enough and decided to take Orihime away for the rest of the summer. It had been a welcomed blessing. Rangiku was the most carefree grown-up she knew and spending time with her was the best thing that could have happened to her. She only wondered _why_ she hadn't done it sooner. That summer was a summer of self discovery and fulfillment. She finally accepted things as they were.

The summer was now over and it was soon to be the start of the semester. She had come back energized and reinvigorated; ready for a new start. Before moving in to the apartment Rangiku had assigned herself the task of decorating it. Tatsuki couldn't have been more grateful, there were things that demanded her attention and were far more important like karate. She wasn't one to do such "girly things" as she had so nicely put it. She was more than glad to pass off the task to Orihime and Rangiku.

Upon arriving at the apartment Orihime saw the look of disappointment on Rangiku's face. The apartment was completely furnished and was spacious; it was a three bedrooms, large kitchen, and large living room monstrosity— no wonder it was so expensive. Karakura University was a private school and not at all easy to get into; its living quarters had to be up to par. Only wealth and brains were allowed inside its walls. The huge windows spanned the whole living room area and were floor-to-ceiling high; there were blinds on each allowing them privacy if needed. They could see outside clearly but were tinted and prevented anybody from looking in and not that they could since the apartment was on the eighth floor. The floor was made out of dark hardwood flooring throughout the living room, kitchen and hallway. The wall adjacent to the windows was made out of brick in different shades of gray with lighter shades of brown and Orihime loved it, a large flat screen TV was mounted high on the brick wall and an electric fireplace was below it. The couch was a very large, dark gray, L-shaped sectional with various dark plum throw pillows and Orihime wondered if somehow the owners knew women would be living there for the next four years, it was rather feminine in her opinion.

The kitchen and living room were separated by an almost black granite countertop that went around three sides of the kitchen, and was only interrupted by the various stainless steel kitchen appliances and sink. On the middle was an island with the same almost black granite top and dark wooden stools surrounding it. The kitchen was so beautiful it have Orihime an urge to cook and was glad Hinata would be living with them. Although her taste in food had matured, she still craved red bean paste on various things that should have no business being paired with the substance and would make other people cringe at the combination. She would try to keep out of the kitchen for Tatsuki's sake.

"Orihime it's beautiful! Don't you just love it?" She had been too awed by the luxury that she had forgotten she wasn't alone, next to her Rangiku had a similar expression on her face. "I can't wait to see the rooms I bet they're just as great!" The blonde almost ran to the hallway where Orihime could see three doors, one on the right, one on the left, and one straight ahead at the end.

Rangiku bounced to the one on the left and flung the door open. Her eyes flew wide open, "Oh, Orihime! It's gorgeous!" When she looked in she could see that it was. There was a small area next to the door that was made out of the same hardwood flooring as the rest of the apartment, but then the rest of the floor was a dark slate stone tile. Against the right wall was a rich mahogany platform bed dressed in cream sheets. On the wall on top of the headboard was an abstract painting in shades of red, orange, and yellow and next to the bed was a stand-up paper lamp. Across from the door was a shoji door— the rest of the wall consisted of the same material— that had been left wide open. A small hallway could be seen and Orihime walked towards it and as she followed it she saw another door. She stopped briefly before opening it and felt Rangiku right behind her, when she opened it the bathroom was revealed.

It was just as luxurious as everything else and was in the same color scheme. It was medium in size, there was a standup shower in one corner and a bathtub large enough for two. The only light in the bathroom came from some light fixtures on top of the vanity but made it all the more alluring. She heard Rangiku grumble next to her, "I didn't know dorms were this nice. Are you sure I can't stay with you, too?"

Orihime giggled, the blonde had been trying to convince her ever since the trip that all four of them should have a slumber party that lasted the whole semester. If she was around as much as she wanted to, Orihime was afraid that they wouldn't get any schoolwork done. Rangiku was incredibly afraid of the word "work" or anything that had to do with it and would therefore try to get them out of things that had anything to do with it. "That's because they're not dorms they're _apartments_. They still belong to the university though. And no, you can't stay but you can visit when we don't have major assignments, midterms, or finals."

The voluptuous blonde pouted at the redhead for ruining the possibility of her fun. "You're no fun Orihime, how am I not supposed to feel lonely now that I won't see you as much?" So that's what this was about. Rangiku broke up with her boyfriend of five years last year; well it hadn't been a break-up as much as him abandoning her. Gin Ichimaru had been the love of her life and he just up and left one day without an explanation. At first Orihime had been crept out by the white haired man, his squinted eyes and never fading smile gave her chills, but over time he won her over— he won them all over including Sora. Gin and Rangiku had been living together for the past three years and everyone wondered when he would pop the question. Rangiku wouldn't talk about it and the few times that it did come up she'd say it wasn't important to her as long as Gin was by her side. She couldn't fool her though. The day her best friend Nanao Ise gave them the news that her long-term and much older boyfriend Shunsui Kyōraku had finally asked her to marry him, she saw how much it did bother her. What made things worse was the fact that it was shortly after that Gin left. Nobody knew why he had done it and he hadn't even left a note; he hadn't taken anything and Rangiku still had his things stored away. Orihime wondered when she would recuperate from that, the blonde had seemed as if nothing happened and Gin had never been an important part of her life, so even mentioning his name became forbidden.

"Like I said you can still visit or I'll visit you. Don't forget you still have Sora, he'll be feeling lonely too." Orihime offered. She couldn't help worrying about her brother they had never been apart from each other and she missed him already.

"I know but Sora only works, works, and works! He never wants to do anything fun." A pout remained permanent on her lips. "Oh, I just remembered Tōshiro is going to be starting at a university too! I can't remember which one it was that he said…" She had her finger on her chin and her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration from trying to remember. "I can bug him too!"

Tōshiro Hitsugaya was Rangiku's godson and was Orihime's age. She hadn't seen him in years. His parents had been close friends of Rangiku's; all three had grown up together, and couldn't see anyone better than her to be his godmother. They had passed away when he was really young leaving his grandmother as his guardian and Rangiku to watch over him. Ever since then Orihime had spent time with him frequently up until they started high school. "I haven't seen little Shiro in years! How's he been doing?" Orihime missed the short white haired boy although he had probably grown since then.

Rangiku perked up, "I saw him before we went on our trip and he was excited to get started with school. I really should've paid more attention to what school he told me he would be attending, which reminds me I need to pay him and his grandmother a visit this week since you'll be starting next week." She made her way back to the bedroom and out to the main hall with Orihime trailing behind her. "I'm not very happy with those bland bed sheets at least there's something I'll get to decorate. Let's check out the rest of the rooms!" Before she finished she almost danced towards the room on the right.

Orihime followed behind her and when the door was opened she saw that it was the same as the other room and also had its own bathroom. When they finished with the room at the end they were happy to discover that all three bedrooms had their private bathroom. "At least it'll make getting ready easier since we won't fight over who gets a turn first," Orihime was really starting to get excited she had never been on her own before.

Rangiku nodded, "And they all have the same boring sheets so I can do some shopping after all!" She was now smiling brightly. "When are the girls moving in?" She asked.

"Well Tatsuki send me a text that she'd be coming over later tonight after she was done at the dojo, and Hinata called saying that Neji was driving her over tomorrow-"

The older woman gasped looking at her wristwatch, "Then we have to hurry I only have a few hours before Tatsuki gets here."

Orihime raised her eyebrow slightly, "Rangiku you're only buying bed sheets-"

She almost looked like she had been insulted, "I'm 'only buying bed sheets'!" She grabbed Orihime by her wrist and pulled her to the door.

* * *

><p>Unsurprisingly it took three hours for Rangiku to pick what she wanted; a red and black set for Orihime, midnight blue and black for Tatsuki, a plum and black for Hinata, and some other decorative items. They were beautiful sets, Rangiku had great taste in everything, but Orihime was frustrated it had taken so long. When they got back to the apartment, they almost ran in since it had gotten so late. Orihime had wanted to wait for the girls to decide who wanted what room, but Rangiku made that choice for them when she changed the sheets. The one on the left ended up being Orihime's, the one at the end Hinata's, and the one on the right Tatsuki's. Not that it made a difference since they looked exactly the same. Just as they were finishing with the last one, Tatsuki's soon-to-be room, they heard jingling at the door.<p>

"Orihime, are you here?" Tatsuki finally managed to push the door open and put the only two suitcases she had brought with her personal belongings inside before closing the door. She looked around at the room and saw that it was a lot more than what she had in mind. _'Leave it to the rich to consider this proper housing for college students…' _This was extravagant to say the least and not at all what she had thought the apartment would look like. Then again this was Karakura University, playground of the wealthy and filthy-rich. She wondered how they had all ended up here. Her family was not poor in any sense of the word; they owned several renowned dojos across the region and her father was a recognized martial arts expert. Even then Tatsuki had never lumped herself with the rich, and other than Orihime, Hinata, Rukia, and Sasuke who came from families with great fortunes, she couldn't stand the lot of them. _'Pompous pricks.'_

The group came from families with money, if not they wouldn't have been admitted in the first place, but they were all very humble about it they never used their families' riches to their advantage. Uryū's father, Ryūken Ishida, was a worldwide famous scientist. His knowledge extended far beyond what had been his initial field of study, which was medicine, if you could think of something that had made your life easier, chances were he had created it or had a hand in its inception. Chad's grandfather, who hailed from Mexico, had been a famous boxer once upon a time and had fought with the most famous of athletes. All he had ever won from his fights and fame he saved up and opened up his first professional boxing gym, he had passed away several years ago, but had left a trusted manager until Chad was able to take reigns of it if he wanted when he was older. He was receiving increasing royalties from it; it had expanded to three gyms.

Sakura's father was the founder of the most prosperous bank branch in the eastern hemisphere and there was talk of expansion overseas. Tenten's father was a sought after weapons maker, people came from all over to get their hands on one of his priceless works of art. Ino's mother was a world renowned botanist, and Ichigo's father was a country-wide acclaimed doctor. She loved her friends, not once did they flaunt what they had.

"Tatsuki!" The redhead came running out of a room demanding her attention. She ran towards her and hugged her raven haired best friend. Orihime helped her with one of the bags. Tatsuki signaled her not to bother but she shook her head and took one. "How do you like it? Or had you already seen it when you came to finish the paperwork?"

"No, this is my first time in here." She stated matter-of-factly. "They only asked me how many would be rooming together and if we wanted coed or not. They said everything would be taken care of from there." She looked around and saw the plum and grey sectional. "That would explain the purple. If I had said it would be males I think it would have been another color."

"You don't like the purple? I thought it was a really good color scheme." Rangiku said as she came out of the room.

Tatsuki smiled at the blonde, "No, I like it. It just explains why they wanted to know the gender. I'm sure Hinata will love it." At that the other two women nodded. "So how's the rest of it look?"

"Oh, it's really nice!" Orihime walked toward the kitchen to show her. Tatsuki saw the kitchen and hoped that Hinata would be doing most of the cooking. "You have to see your room! I wanted to wait for you to pick but Rangiku picked for us, she decorated them already. I hope you don't mind, they're all identical anyway, well not anymore now that Rangiku touched them up a little." She seemed to say it all in one breath, Tatsuki heard clearly when she paused and took a breath. Orihime opened the door eagerly.

Tatsuki had to admit it was rather nice, way more than what she was used to, but nice. She saw the midnight blue and black embroidered comforter with matching sheets and pillows. It was in her favorite color too. She could smell the pleasant fragrance coming from the candles on the dresser opposite the wall, she couldn't quite place it— it was exotic just her type of fragrance— but she liked it. She saw a shoji door that was open in front of her. "What's back there?"

Orihime nearly jumped from the excitement, "The bathroom we each have our own." Orihime knew getting ready wasn't an issue for Tatsuki, she was the type of girl that would take all of five minutes to get ready, and not that she thought Tatsuki needed more time— she thought her friend was a natural beauty. There would be times when she'd want to take an extra long relaxing bath and that's when they would have an issue since who didn't want to enjoy one from time to time? What if they all wanted to take one at the same time?

Tatsuki set her suitcase on the floor and took the one Orihime had and did the same. She walked to where she now knew the bathroom to be and saw that it was just like everything else on campus it seemed like, extravagant. She had seen the expensive and rare cars in the parking garage. Just the lobby of the building alone screamed "money". _'Everyone can indulge themselves every once in a while can't they?' _She thought. If she kept true to her self and didn't let this lifestyle corrupt her life just like she had done all these years, things would be okay wouldn't they? Everything seemed to look much better.

* * *

><p>Tatsuki and Orihime had spent their first night at the apartment. They had a long first night, Sora came to drop off Orihime's belongings after he got out of work later that day and she had helped her put her things away. Rangiku had stayed to help but ended up staying later than intended. By the time they went to bed it was past midnight and sleep had not come easily. This morning they had been awoken early in the morning by Rangiku who wanted to spend "quality girl time" with them. She seriously wondered where that woman got her energy and enthusiasm from.<p>

Now they were all in the kitchen eating breakfast at eight in the morning. Tatsuki just wanted to go to sleep. While Orihime and Rangiku chatted the morning happily away Tatsuki heard someone at the door. She could hear a soft voice coming from behind it, one that sounded overly excited, and one that sounded very irritated. She stood up and when she was almost at the door it swung open.

A blur of dark golden brown rushed and collided with her. "Tatsuki I haven't seen you in weeks! I missed you!" She immediately recognized the voice.

"I'm sorry Hanabi. I've just been very busy at the dojo but I'm here now," She offered as if it was going to help her any.

Hanabi pulled away from the older girl, "And that's supposed to make up for it? We didn't spar all summer long and now that the semester's starting I won't see you at all."

She loved Hanabi like a younger sister, "I promise I'll take you to the dojo this week and I'll give you my undivided attention."

The youngest of the Hyūgas blushed slightly, "You don't have to be smug about it. I just miss spending time with you that's all." She brushed her hair away from her face, "You promised so now you have to do it."

"I will-" she saw Hinata walk inside with a small suitcase in her hand. Behind her she heard Orihime call out to their friend and she smiled warmly in turn.

The smile on Tatsuki's face left her when she saw the person she did not want to see. Neji Hyūga walked in with one purple suitcase in each hand. He slipped out of his shoes gracefully and walked up into the living room. Their eyes met and they both frowned. Hanabi looked behind her to see what had upset Tatsuki and saw her cousin giving the boyish girl the same look and smirked.

The prospect of today being a good day had gone out the window as soon as Neji walked through the door. _'Arrogant jerk…'_ just the sight of him made her stomach turn… and _not_ in a good way. "Hyūga," she said out of pure consideration for Hinata and Hanabi if not she would have punched his face in greeting and kicked him out.

"Arisawa," he nodded and said in a cool and collected tone— or so he attempted. Tatsuki could feel the same hate she felt for him clear in his voice. The others would think they were merely being courteous to each other but they both knew otherwise, the intense feeling was mutual. They continued to stare at each other, brown challenging white-silver, neither backing down. Today was not going to be a good day.

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_ That's a decent length I think. I have to stop though plot bunnies have invaded me once again. Why, oh why, do they have to pop up? I think you guys can guess who it would probably be. I did say there would be several stories branching out from _A Revelation in the Light of Day_. I did not intend to add the last part of the chapter, but I saw I was on page 6 and I felt bad because I'd end up cutting it shorter than the others (I want them to be somewhat on the same pace). Then the last part just wrote itself. If you can guess who I have in mind, or if you would be interested reading about it, let me know! Please review it would be _greatly_ appreciated. Thank you for reading this chapter!

_**-Wyvernhail**_


	3. Such Things Don't Happen

_**A/N:**_ I am not going to go on a rant like I always do, so here's chapter 3. Enjoy!

_**Rating:**_ M

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Bleach or Naruto for that matter.

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><p><em><strong>Such Things Don't Happen<strong>_

The first week of school had been… overwhelming. The first day had not been bad at all the professors had just gone over what was expected of them throughout the semester: projects, group assignments, tests, presentations, etc. What had been more than what she was used to was the second day. The professors— mainly her Biology professor Retsu Unohana— had bombarded them with endless information and notes. She looked like an incredibly nice person even her voice sounded like it, but when a student walked in late mid lecture she gave him "the look". She had been smiling the whole time but that smile unnerved her and made her shiver, not in a good way; Orihime made a mental note to _never_ walk in late to class or do anything that would earn her that smile. Her Political Science professor had been incredibly late to class the first day giving the excuse of having helped an elderly lady cross the street. Kakashi Hatake was late again on the second day giving them another semi-believable excuse. By the end of the week they stopped believing anything he said.

Her professors were some pretty interesting characters and despite the full workload she knew she would have, she was looking forward to her first semester. The second week of school she decided to explore the area surrounding the campus. She was pretty familiar with the campus by now, but she remembered having seen some interesting shops and a coffee shop she had wanted to go to when she went shopping with Rangiku. Orihime loved the fact that everything was within walking distance from campus. It was a little after 1 P.M., and she was already finished for the day. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were her short days and today was Monday.

About two blocks from campus she found a quaint little coffee shop hidden between two more popular shops. She walked in and was assaulted by the smell of fresh coffee; she could hear the coffee beans being ground and could smell muffins and cookies fresh out of the oven. It wasn't a big shop or anything and she liked it; even the color palette made up of reds, oranges, and browns gave it gave it a cozy feeling. There were a few tables throughout the place and a small section with several couches arranged in a rectangular shape. She spotted a vacant table next to the window, _'Perfect.'_ She liked to watch the people going about their business.

She took a seat and a server was immediately at her tableside. "Hi, welcome to Jitterz! My name is Ayame and I'll be your server. Did you have what you wanted in mind? You don't look familiar… is this your first time here?" The brunette said cheerfully.

Orihime laughed lightly. "Hi, Ayame I'm Orihime. Is it that noticeable that it's my first time here?" Ayame nodded and Orihime blushed lightly. "Can I just have some hot chocolate, please with lots of marshmallows?" She wasn't much of a coffee drinker. "Oh, and can I have two of your best cookies?"

Ayame smiled at her, "Sure thing, Orihime. They're coming right up." She walked away quickly to bring her the order.

Orihime looked out the window and saw how busy the streets were. This part of town was crowded mainly because of the school and the big corporations. Everybody was always in a rush. She wondered if they ever took a break from their busy lives to look at the things around them; Karakura was a beautiful city and full of life. The streets were surrounded on both sides by greenery. The trees were really tall and she wondered how old they were, probably older than her. They were still green but they would soon begin to change color with the coming of fall, and she couldn't wait to see it. She was too absorbed in her thinking that she didn't notice when Ayame brought her the hot chocolate and the chocolate chip cookies.

She scanned the shop quickly for the girl and when she spotted her behind the counter, she smiled at the brunette and nodded slightly in gratitude. Ayame gave her an even bigger smile in return. Orihime noticed that the shop was beginning to fill rather quickly with college students. She had read a sign that said there was free wireless internet available on her way in, and about half of the people had laptops out. She turned away to continue to look out the window and "people watch" as she called it.

Some time passed by with her in a daze. She heard somebody clear his throat beside her. "Excuse me, Miss?" The voice sounded incredibly masculine.

She slowly turned to look at him and was taken aback by his size. He stood a good foot taller than her making him easily over 6 feet tall. He had long crimson hair pulled up in a ponytail. He was wearing a black shirt, faded distressed jeans and a chain was hanging from his right side and connected with his wallet in his back pocket. He was wearing black boots making him look even taller. Her eyes were drawn to his rich amber eyes. "Yes," she responded shakily. _'Come on Orihime get a hold of your self! Yes he's incredibly good looking— I mean you would have to be blind not to see that— but you are making it obvious!'_

The tall red head chuckled nervously. "I-I'm real sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could sit with you?" Her eyes widened slightly and she felt heat on her face. He quickly lifted his hands and waved them in front of him as he shook his head. "I don't mean anything by it. It's just that the shop is already full and there are no seats available. Your table has the only available chair, and I really have to get an assignment done today."

Orihime felt deflated for some unknown reason. '_Of course, I'm the only one that's here sitting by herself…' _She quickly scanned the shop and indeed saw that it had filled up while she was daydreaming. Even the couches were full and there were people sitting on the floor leaning against them as well. She looked back at the man standing next to her and smiled. "Sure, go right ahead," she answered as she gestured towards the empty chair in front of her. She would have to remember to get here before the rush of students in the future.

He gave her an appreciative smile, "Thank you so much, this is the only place where I can get my work done. I can't do anything back at my apartment."

Orihime furrowed her eyebrows in question. "Why not?" She quickly scolded herself for butting in to what was not her business and averted her gaze; the mosaic coffee table suddenly became very interesting. "I-I mean if you don't mind me asking…"

He chuckled and it was a deep sound, she quickly found herself looking back at him and smiling his laugh was contagious. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well… my roommates won't allow me to get anything done. They argue everyday over anything, but it's all in good fun."

Orihime could imagine what that would be like and was glad Tatsuki and Hinata valued good grades in school as much as she did. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"No, it's okay. We all manage to get our work done… just… not at the apartment." He looked embarrassed now for some reason.

She smiled genuinely at him once again, "That's what matters." She extended her hand to him. "My name is Orihime Inoue, by the way."

He flushed a little before he took her hand. "I'm so sorry! How rude of me, asking you to share your table with me without even introducing myself. Renji Abarai pleased to meet you."

This time she laughed he was a pretty interesting character. "Don't worry about it."

Ayame quickly approached their table and looked flustered. "Hey Renji, I'm sorry I hadn't made my way over here but we're pretty packed. Will you be having the usual?"

Renji smiled at the brunette, "Its okay Ayame, I don't mind I'll be here a while anyway. Am I that predictable that you already know what I'm going to order?"

Ayame laughed heartily, "No, Renji it's just that you have been coming here several times a week for the past year already. How are your grades going by the way?"

"They're still pretty good considering my troublesome roommates." Renji said.

Ayame smiled knowingly, "Ah, so Shūhei and Izuru are still giving you a hard time." Renji nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that Renji, but you know you are always welcome here and so are you Orihime." An older man called out to Ayame from behind the counter. "Well, it was nice talking to you. Your order's coming right up!"

"Thanks, Ayame!" Renji called out to her retreating figure. Orihime was about to ask what school he was going to, there was also a technical college close by, but he spoke up as if reading her thoughts. "It's my second year at KU. I happened to stumble upon this place the first week I started attending there and I've been coming ever since."

"Really,_ I_ go to KU it's my first year!" She gave him a smile that brightened up her face.

ͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻ

Renji knew it was her first year, he would not have forgotten seeing someone like her around. Orihime had characteristics that one could not forget easily; from her sunset colored hair, her big grey eyes, and her peach complexion. Only one word came to mind when he first saw Orihime Inoue sitting alone at the coffee table: beautiful. The fact that she was sitting on the table with the only available chair in the shop had worked out in his favor; otherwise he was positive he would have never approached a girl like that. As he got to talk to her he was glad to know that she was down-to-earth, definitely nothing like the type of girls he was used to dealing with romantically or otherwise. This girl was beautiful, yet it seemed as if she was not aware of it. She was wearing a spaghetti strap, candy stripe, white and red dress that had the bottom hem of the skirt embroidered in small white flowers and white strappy sandals.

She wore her emotions plain for everyone to see, that was what he had concluded in the past ten minutes he had been sitting with her; from the dazed look she had when he had first seen her to the warm smile she gave for the simplest of things.

"I take it you're living on campus?" He asked hopefully, maybe he would have more chances of running into her.

She gasped, "Yes, how did you know?"

Renji smirked, "Lucky guess." He answered simply. "I'm staying at B-complex on the ninth floor-"

"I am, too! Well, I'm on the floor below yours, but what a strange coincidence…" she said as she rubbed her chin pensively. Renji would have laughed at her then, but he knew she would take it the wrong way. Her facial expressions gave her away just as badly and she looked rather cute.

Ayame brought his usual order coffee with two chocolate chip cookies. "Thanks," the red head offered and the woman smiled at him before walking away quickly. He took out his laptop and rearranged his things so that there would be enough space on the table.

As he opened it and got the right programs running he heard Orihime gasp. "I'm sorry Renji I forgot you had work to do." When he looked up from his computer at her, he saw that she had a blush on her face and was scratching the side of her head nervously.

He smiled at her, "Don't worry about it Orihime it really won't take me long to finish." That seemed to settle her down a bit. Since it was the beginning of the semester the assignments were not difficult at all yet, it consisted of five questions regarding the lecture from today which would then have to be emailed to the professor. It was simple really but even something as simple as that would not have been accomplished back at his apartment. He had grown up with his roommates and they were his best friends, but when they got in their moods he sometimes really didn't want to be around them.

Fifteen minutes later, his assignment was finished and he hit the send button. He looked up at the grey eyed girl sitting across from him and saw that she was looking out the window with a pensive look on her face. He briefly wondered what she was thinking about.

He closed his laptop and the low click brought her attention back to him and she smiled. "All done?" Renji nodded just as Ayame brought another round of what they were having. They spend the next two hours talking about anything and everything that came to mind. Not once during that time did his heart not accelerate every time she smiled.

ͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻ

Without her realizing it almost three hours had passed, and when she finally acknowledged it she was surprised. Time flew past them as they talked. "Renji, I'm so sorry I didn't know it was this late. I haven't been holding you up have I?" She would be mortified if she had.

Renji only laughed at seeing her flustered and she found that she liked the sound of his deep timbre. "No, Orihime not at all. On the contrary, forgive me if I have." She quickly shook her head. He packed his laptop and drank the last bit of his coffee before he stood up. He outstretched his hand and offered it to her. "Thank you for allowing me to sit with you today. I was a perfect stranger and I know anybody else would not have shown me the same kindness. It was very nice meeting you, Orihime Inoue."

She shook his hand and smiled, "There's no need to thank me. Thank you for your company. It was a pleasure to meet you, Renji Abarai."

His hand lingered a little longer and he gave her a crooked grin. As he let her go he said, "See you around, Orihime." Then he walked off.

She didn't want to leave just yet, and she stayed there to get one last glimpse of him as he walked off. A few minutes later she saw as he passed the window his back towards her. He must have seen her still sitting there for as he walked off he waved over his shoulder and she knew it had been for her. She waved back even though he couldn't see her anymore.

Orihime finally stood up and went to the register to pay for her chocolate and cookies. When she stood in front of Ayame the brunette smiled. "Oh, you don't owe me anything Renji paid for it before he left." At the confused look Orihime gave her she laughed. "He also left this for you."

She handed her a napkin from the coffee shop, it was ivory and embossed with leaves and vines all around the edge, even their napkins had a vintage look to them. She opened it and saw the message he had left for her. _"You are as sweet as they come. Thank you for an incredible afternoon, Orihime Inoue." _At the bottom he had signed his name. Orihime felt the blood rush to her face, nobody had ever done something so sweet for her.

"He comes in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday around the same time." Ayame told her slyly.

Still a little dazed Orihime thanked her before walking out of the shop. She gently put the napkin in her purse; it still smelled lightly of him, a warm musky scent. She walked down the sidewalk in the direction he had gone a few minutes prior, probably on his way back to the complex. When she had gone on her small tour of the vicinity she had never expected for something like this to happen. Interesting things like this did not happen to Orihime Inoue. Beautiful, red headed, strangers _did not_ approach her out of the blue and ask to sit with her, _much less_ spend hours talking about the most random of things. No, such things did not happen to Orihime Inoue.

Strangely enough they had and she still wondered if they had not been a figment of her vivid imagination. She took a peek inside her purse and saw that the napkin was still there. This afternoon _had_ happened. Then she remembered what Ayame had told her, _"He comes in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday around the same time."_ Had she seen something that made her give her that bit of information? Maybe she had. She felt a fluttering in her stomach at the thought of running into him again, and she wondered if she would be brave enough to risk such an encounter.

Amber eyes and a lopsided grin flashed in her memory. Maybe she could be brave just this once. She felt that she wanted to be his friend. Nothing else just a _friend_. She could coincidentally stop by the quaint little shop on those days, no one would know. It's not like _he_ would know. There was no harm in doing that, now was there?

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_ I hope this chapter was to your liking. Please let me know what you think, I'd love to read your feedback. Just so we're all on the same page, in this particular story, Renji still has his tribal tattoos… just not the ones of his face. I love Renji, but I feel that we could see more of his lovely face if he didn't have them there. I'm sorry if some of you don't like it, but that is just my preference. Thank you for reading once again. I'm going to get started on _Hierro_ as soon as I'm done proofreading this one, and then it's on to _This World Can't Tear Us Apart_. So be looking out for that update very soon. I'm also working on a new Bleach/Naruto crossover and its Hinata and Byakuya. I have already let two of you know and you gave me good feedback so that is in the works. It won't be posted soon since I really want to get the merging of the two right. I want to have two to three chapters done before I upload it. Thank you for your support.

*******_ Jitterz_ is an actual coffee place here where I live. I couldn't come up with a name so I used that one. I've only been there once but I loved it, it was very cozy. They have the best hot chocolate ever! Just wanted to share!

_**-Wyvernhail**_


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